Decision on San Francisco Giants Executive Will Be Determined by Season Results
The San Francisco Giants surprised a lot of people when they didn't become sellers at the trade deadline despite clearly having an uphill battle to get into the playoffs this year.
Instead of moving some of their most attractive assets, including Blake Snell who multiple teams were interested in acquiring, the front office decided to dig their heels in and plow ahead with the goal of making the postseason.
Entering Friday, they certainly have a chance.
The Giants are three games back of the final Wild Card spot, and with the way Snell has started to pitch recently, combined with former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray returning to the mound and Logan Webb putting in good outings, this is the best they've looked all year.
If San Francisco is able to get themselves into the playoffs, then their decision to keep this group intact will make it look like the front office was miles ahead of all those who thought they should sell.
But if they don't, then there's a real chance they could move on from president of baseball operation Farhan Zaidi.
When looking at the best-case scenarios for each team, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report thinks that whatever the result is coming down the stretch, they will at least know what to do with their executive.
"Speaking of executives who may have uncertain futures, San Francisco president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi is probably at the top of the list ... Over the final couple months of the season, ownership in San Francisco will have to decide whether he should continue to lead baseball operations for the Giants," he writes.
That goes in line with the report that Zaidi could be in danger of losing his job if they aren't able to make the playoffs.
The Giants were ultra-aggressive this offseason, spending money to land multiple high-profile free agents.
Not playing fall baseball would be a disaster, and likely would result in Zaidi getting fired.
That might also explain why he was reluctant to move his best players at the deadline, fearing that if he sold off his most attractive pieces, that would highly reduce this group's chances of getting hot down the stretch and making a playoff push.
If San Francisco grabs a Wild Card spot, he looks like a genious.
If not, he could be looking for a new job.